Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buckle, and more particularly to a ratchet buckle for binding articles.
Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1, when a truck carries an article, a user usually uses a conventional ratchet buckle 1 to bind the article, so as to prevent the article from unexpectedly dropping down from the truck. The conventional ratchet buckle 1 comprises a first strap 11, a second strap 12, a controlling device 13, an operating device 14, a reel 15 and two ratchet wheels 16. The operating device 14 is connected to the first strap 11. The reel 15 passes through the controlling device 13 and the operating device 14 along an axial direction. The two ratchet wheels 16 are respectively mounted around two ends of the reel 15. The reel 15 is not rotated relative to the two ratchet wheels 16. The controlling device 13 has a plate unit 131. The plate unit 131 is engaged with the ratchet wheels 16 or disengaged from the ratchet wheels 16. The operating device 14 has a pawl member 141. The pawl member 141 allows the ratchet wheels 16 to be only clockwise rotated.
When a user operates the conventional ratchet buckle 1, an article is bound with the first strap 11 and the second strap 12; the user rotates the controlling device 13 clockwise, the ratchet wheels 16 are rotated clockwise by said rotation and the reel 15 is rotated clockwise by the rotation of the ratchet wheels 16; wherein, the pawl member 141 is disengaged form the ratchet wheels 16 step by step and the plate unit 131 is engaged with the ratchet wheels 16. As a result, a certain length of the second strap 12 is wound around the reel 15 via the rotation of the reel 15.
Thereafter, the user rotates the controlling device 13 counterclockwise, the ratchet wheels 16 are not rotated counterclockwise by said rotation; wherein, the pawl member 141 is engaged with the ratchet wheels 16 and the plate unit 131 is disengaged from the ratchet wheels 16 step by step. Therefore, the user continues rotating the controlling device 13 clockwise, so as to continue winding the certain length of the second strap 12 around the reel 15, so that the article is tightly bound.
When the user wants to unwind the second strap 12 from the reel 15, the user stirs the plate unit 131 away from the ratchet wheels 16, and rotates the controlling device 13 clockwise until the controlling device 13 and the operating device 14 are almost parallel with each other; as a result, an extending portion (not shown) of the controlling device 13 pushes the pawl member 141 away from the ratchet wheels 16. Therefore, the reel 15 is freely rotatable, because the ratchet wheels 16 is disengaged from the plate unit 131 and the pawl member 141.
However, there are some disadvantages of the conventional ratchet buckle 1 as following:
First, a structure of the conventional ratchet buckle 1 is complicated and overweight thereof, because of an arrangement of the plate unit 131 and the pawl member 141.
Second, an unexpected disengagement between the pawl member 141 and the ratchet wheels 16 might often happen, because a strain of the second strap 12 always pulls the ratchet wheels 16 away from the pawl member 141.
Third, under the conventional ratchet buckle 1, the disengagement makes louder noise, because the plate unit 131 or the elastic pawl 141 is disengaged from the ratchet wheels 16, via elasticity thereof. Therefore, the conventional ratchet buckle 1 is unsuitable at night.
The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above mentioned disadvantages.